Portal:Calvinism

The Calvinism Portal

Calvinism (also called the Reformed tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Calvin and other Reformation-era theologians. It emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the authority of the Bible.

Calvinists broke from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century. Calvinists differ from Lutherans (another major branch of the Reformation) on the spiritual real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, theories of worship, the purpose and meaning of baptism, and the use of God's law for believers, among other points. The label Calvinism can be misleading, because the religious tradition it denotes has always been diverse, with a wide range of influences rather than a single founder; however, almost all of them drew heavily from the writings of Augustine of Hippo twelve hundred years prior to the Reformation.

The namesake and founder of the movement, French reformer John Calvin, embraced Protestant beliefs in the late 1520s or early 1530s, as the earliest notions of later Reformed tradition were already espoused by Huldrych Zwingli. The movement was first called Calvinism in the early 1550s by Lutherans who opposed it. Many in the tradition find it either a nondescript or inappropriate term and prefer the term Reformed. The most important Reformed theologians include Calvin, Zwingli, Martin Bucer, William Farel, Heinrich Bullinger, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Peter Martyr Vermigli, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. In the twentieth century, Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, B. B. Warfield, J. Gresham Machen, Louis Berkhof, Karl Barth, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Cornelius Van Til, R. C. Sproul, and J. I. Packer were influential. Contemporary Reformed theologians include Albert Mohler, Tim Keller, John Piper, Joel Beeke, and Michael Horton.

The Reformed tradition is largely represented by the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Reformed Anglican, Congregationalist, and Reformed Baptist denominations. Several forms of ecclesiastical polity are exercised by a group of Reformed churches, including presbyterian, congregationalist, and some episcopal. The biggest Reformed association is the World Communion of Reformed Churches, with more than 100 million members in 211 member denominations around the world. More conservative Reformed federations include the World Reformed Fellowship and the International Conference of Reformed Churches. (Full article...)

Selected article

William Henry Sheppard (1865–1927) was one of the earliest African Americans to become a missionary for the Presbyterian Church. He spent 20 years in Africa, primarily in and around the Congo Free State, and is best known for his efforts to publicize the atrocities committed against the Kuba and other Congolese peoples by King Leopold II's Force Publique.

Sheppard's efforts contributed to the contemporary debate on European colonialism and imperialism in the region, particularly amongst those of the African American community. However, it has been noted that he traditionally received little attention in literature on the subject.

Selected images

Image 1Calvin preached at St. Pierre Cathedral in Geneva (from Calvinism)
Image 2The burning of the Guernsey Martyrs during the Marian persecutions in 1556 (from Calvinism)
Image 3Early Calvinism was known for simple, unadorned churches, as shown in this 1661 painting of the interior of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam (from Calvinism)
Image 4The "Shield of the Trinity" diagrams the classic doctrine of the Trinity (from Calvinism)
Image 5Stephen Bocskay, leader of Hungarian Calvinists in anti-Habsburg rebellion and first Calvinist prince of Transylvania (r. 1605–1606) (from Calvinism)
Image 6Abandoned Calvinist church in Łapczyna Wola, Poland (from Calvinism)
Image 7Calvinist church in Semarang, Indonesia. (from Calvinism)
Image 8Statues of William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox at the International Monument to the Reformation in Geneva, Switzerland. They were among the most influential theologians that helped develop the Reformed tradition. (from Calvinism)
Image 9The seal of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, an early American Presbyterian church (from Calvinism)
Image 10Dutch prime minister Abraham Kuyper initiated neo-Calvinism (from Calvinism)
Image 11The Bay Psalm Book was used by the Pilgrims. (from Calvinism)
Image 12The Grote Kerk in Haarlem, Dutch Republic, c. 1665 (from Calvinism)
Image 13Cover of Calvin's magnum opus: Institutes of the Christian Religion (from Calvinism)
Image 14Fall of Man by Jacob Jordaens (from Calvinism)
Image 15John Calvin depicted on his deathbed with church members. The last moments of Calvin (Barcelona: Montaner y Simón, 1880–1883) (from Calvinism)
Image 16The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt, based on the Parable of the Prodigal Son illustrating forgiveness (from Calvinism)
Image 17Reformed church in Koudekerk aan den Rijn (Netherlands), 19th century (from Calvinism)
Image 18Moïse Amyraut formulated Amyraldism, a modified Calvinist theology regarding the nature of Christ's atonement. (from Calvinism)

Did you know...

... that the 1919 demolition of "one of the most costly religious edifices" in New York City, the 1906 Madison Square Presbyterian Church, was called "a distinct architectural loss"?

John Cotton

... that criticisms made by John Cotton (pictured) about the doctrine of preparationism were a factor in the Antinomian Controversy and Anne Hutchinson's banishment from Massachusetts in 1638?

... that five-thousand types of communion tokens have been issued by Presbyterian churches?

Subcategories

Calvinism

Calvinism by country

Calvinist and Reformed Christians

Reformed Baptists

Calvinistic Methodism

Protestant Reformed cemeteries

Reformed church buildings

Congregationalism

History of Calvinism

Calvinist organizations

Presbyterianism

Primitive Baptists

Calvinist theology

Calvinism stubs

Topics

Background: Christianity • St. Augustine • The Reformation • John Calvin • Five Solas • Synod of Dort

Theology: Five Points (TULIP) • Covenant Theology • Regulative principle

Documents: Calvin's Institutes • Confessions of faith • Geneva Bible

Influences: Theodore Beza • John Knox • Jonathan Edwards • Princeton theologians • Henry Cooke

Churches: Reformed • Presbyterian • Congregationalist • Reformed Baptist

Peoples: Afrikaner Calvinists • Huguenots • Pilgrims • Puritans • Scots • Ulster Protestants

WikiProjects

Religion
- Christianity
  - Bible
  - Calvinism
  - Lutheranism

Things to do

Here are some tasks awaiting attention:

Article requests : Scottish Second Reformation, More...
Cleanup : Imputed righteousness
Copyedit : Better integrate Calvinism, the Five points of Calvinism (and the pages for each point), and the History of Calvinist-Arminian debate. Revise unconditional election.
Expand : Presbyterian worship, Unconditional election, Regulative principle of worship, More...
NPOV : Charles Hodge, A. A. Hodge
Stubs : Split-leaf psalter, Gaspar Karolyi, Westminster Standards, Christian philosophy, More...
Verify : Puritan, Presuppositional apologetics
Wikify : Imputed righteousness, First Great Awakening

If those don't satisfy, try wandering through Category:Calvinism articles by quality looking for things to do.

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